Bargain Shopping: Beauty and Clothing mini haul

Hey y’all! And welcome back to my site. Today I hit up some of my favorite local bargain shops. Really I was searching for some fun fall decor but it turned into more of a beauty and clothing haul than anything else. Before we proceed please know that none of these products or reviews are sponsored or serve as endorsements of any kind. They’re simply real life finds that I (hope to) enjoy. So, without further ado, I present to you my mini haul (in no particular order):

1. I. Love. Hats. I have always loved hats ever since I was a little girl. Hats, however, have not always loved me. I have a large head (to fit all of my wasted potential and crazy ideas in) so I can’t always fit into hats straight off the rack. Not knowing when to cut my losses, I am always on the hunt for an amazing hat. When I saw this taupe colored wool hat with the knotted, leather band detail and a semi-wide brim, I prayed that it would fit my gigantic noggin. It did. Then I sent up another prayer that I didn’t just fall in love with something I’d have to sell a kidney for. This Tart Collection hat retails for $33.00 and I found it listed at $19.99. So now it’s mine. And it’s going to be such a fun and easy styling piece year ’round. I can see it with a strappy dress, cropped kimono, and booties for an easy spring/summer vibe or paired with my peasant maxi skirt, my knee-high, lace-up leather boots, a slouchy sweater and a patterned scarf for fall/winter–because those of us who live in the south know that we really only have two seasons. ‘Nuff said.

2. Right around the corner from the amazing hat was the perfect belt. Go figure. This genuine leather belt with stamped detail was too good to pass up. It actually didn’t have a brand tag or any originating information associated with it other than its material, the original price, and the sale price. So, originally this belt was $20.00 and I got it on sale for $14.99. Another great piece that will be functional with most, if not all, of my existing wardrobe. It’ll go great with skirts, dresses, over sweaters to create definition, etc. The stamping detail makes a unique, yet subtle, statement and gives it a fun, western vibe.

3. I know that kimonos have been having a moment and believe me, I’m trying to like them. But I’m struggling with styling them effectively in my day-to-day life. Don’t get me wrong, they’re extremely comfortable and lightweight which are two crucial prerequisites for clothing where I live. But the way I’m shaped requires clothes with a little more definition. So I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a cropped kimono. And ohmylanta I finally found one! It’s by the brand W5 and retail price for this is estimated to be $30.00. I found it listed for $19.99. Now it may seem a little ordinary at first but up close you’ll notice the alternating prints and tasselwork along the border. It hits at the right spot between my lower back and my hips and it’s opaque enough for the office but still light enough to breathe in. I LOVE this kimono. And I believe that styling something a little closer to the body and a little shorter will be easier for me. I can already see it with cute sundresses and strappy sandals or with a breezy cotton top, some dark wash jeans, and some booties. *Special appearance by Eleven “Elle”the cat*

4. I wish I still lived somewhere more temperate so I could truly enjoy the clothes. Honestly, I miss it. And some day I’ll get back to it. But until such a time I will content myself with suitable alternatives like this amazingly lightweight and stretchy denim jacket I just found. Seriously, this rivals my all-time favorite denim jacket (which I no longer own because I outgrew the GAP Kids hand-me-down). It has unique detailing which I am a sucker for. I swear I’m not an only child–but the idea of having something different and one-of-a-kind is disgustingly appealing to me. So this subtly distressed jacket by Kensie Jeans with removed outer pockets (they’ve been restitched inside the jacket), the illusion of elbow patches long gone, and relaxed hem expose the rich color of the original denim creating dramatic contrast in an effortlessly cool, Americana kind of way. I dig it. Retail price for this jacket is actually $68.00 (not $42.00 like it says on the comparable tag) and I only paid $29.99. More than 50% off for a piece I love and can practically guarantee no one I know will already own. Trust me. I would have begged to know where they got it from.
5. And last but not least, the beauty portion of this haul. It never fails, when I go out “just looking” I typically end up bringing home some sort of beauty product whether it’s a new mask to try or an amazing soap. And when I find a really good deal, barring some questionable back alley transaction, why not try it out? Beauty products can be such a minefield of hit-or-miss that I really don’t like to commit to a full priced product unless I’m sure. That being said, here’s a quick break down of what I found to try today (top left to bottom right):

Esthetic Plus brand dual-sided skin care tool from Ion Beauty Tools. This tool is meant to help with unclogging pores and promoting clear skin with minimal damage. I’ve been fortunate enough in my life to have fairly clear skin but I have large pores and tend to retain dirt and oil around my nose and chin. I’m hoping this will help. Retail price is $8.00 and I paid $3.99.

Eucalyptus scented Clean & Shine Soothing Body Wash with enriching coconut oil. This thing is a monster but with two people using it (one of them being my husband) it’s actually just the right size for our household. After so many years of living here, allergies have finally caught up with me and in one of my other blog posts I mentioned essential oils and how they’ve helped. Eucalyptus is typically too strong for me to use in a continuous way like a diffuser or plug-in. However, in the shower it opens up my sinuses and helps me breathe so much easier. And the coconut oil will help with my dry skin. Retail price is $10.00 and I paid $7.99.

TruBeauty has such cute shower caps! This one is oversized for longer hair and comes in a plastic case with suction cups on the back to stick to the tiles of my shower wall. It also has holes in the bottom for any trapped water to escape through. With color-treated hair I have to be careful with how and how often I wash or treat my hair. I’ve mentioned before that one of my essential products was dry shampoo. The other side of that is a good shower cap to either help keep my hair dry or to lock moisture in when I’m doing a mask. Retail price is $8.00 and I paid $4.99.

This next product is completely new to me. I’ve seen tutorials on different beauty blending sponges and applicators and really I’ve chosen to stick with my brushes and my generic triangle sponges. But the combined promise of a hygienic, latex and BPA free applicator that is also 100% cruelty free gave me pause. It’s called the SiliJelly Sponge silicone makeup applicator by Lindo. The fact that it was only $2.99 instead of $10.00 helped. And I’m not ashamed to admit I like that it’s glittery. Stay tuned for a makeup tutorial featuring this product later!

Finally, this last product isn’t actually for me but it’s still a great product worthy of mention. If you suffer from heel blisters and/or irritation please explore your options. My husband has gone through an entire package of bandages this month alone while he’s breaking in new shoes. STOP THE MADNESS! While I am not familiar with this particular brand of heel cushion, it seems promising. The Heavenly Heelz Foot Petals back-of-heel gel cushions typically retail for approximately $5.00 and I found them for $2.99.

That’s all she wrote, kids. I hope you enjoyed this mini haul of sorts. There will be many more so please subscribe if you haven’t already. Feel free to like this post and leave your comments below. Please let me know if you’d like to see more of these or something different. And of course sign up for notifications so you don’t miss out on my next posts!